June 19, 2025, 5:01 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
It’s already clear that the popular action series “Reacher” will get a fourth season! And now we know that Alan Ritchson is already deep into preparations for it. The American actor, who plays the main character Jack, is hard at work training. FITBOOK author Tony Poland reveals how he’s getting into top shape.
Thanks to “Reacher,” Alan Ritchson has been in top form for over three years now! Since the start of the first season in February 2022, the actor has built up a significant amount of muscle mass and a broad back through various workouts to really make an impact in the series. Of course, it’s not just about training; he also leaves nothing to chance with his diet. After all, such an impressive upper body with a six-pack needs proper fuel! For the fourth season, Alan Ritchson, who even underwent a somewhat questionable testosterone therapy, has now revealed his current workout plan–and it’s intense!
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Overview
Alan Ritchson’s Success Formula
More weight and fewer reps or less weight and more reps? This question still occupies the fitness world and is not easy to answer. Both approaches can lead to muscle growth. However, Alan Ritchson has currently chosen one option. On Instagram, he shows his workout.
And it goes as follows: “Low(ish) weight + higher volume = hypertrophy and longevity. […]” he posted a few days ago on Instagram. Translated into English, the 42-year-old focuses on “less weight” but “higher volume.” According to him, this leads to “hypertrophy” and “longevity.”
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Alan Ritchson Swears by Upper Body Superset
To be prepared for the upcoming filming of “Reacher 4,” Alan Ritchson has devised an apparently effective program. As seen in his Instagram video, he completes a total of four rounds of an intense upper body superset with maximum intensity, consisting of three exercises each. This results in up to 240 reps!
He doesn’t need much equipment for this, just an EZ bar. Toward the end, he even trains his legs and core.
Bicep Curls (4 sets of 12 to 20 reps)
Alan Ritchson starts with bicep curls. He stands upright, feet hip-width apart. His gaze is forward while holding the EZ bar with an underhand grip. He then lifts his forearms upward, keeping his upper arms and elbows close to his body. He exhales during the upward movement and inhales as he lowers his forearms. It’s important that the muscles remain tense and the arms are not fully extended!
Overhead Tricep Press (4 sets of 12 to 20 reps)
He seamlessly continues with overhead tricep presses. For this, Alan Ritchson grips the EZ bar in the middle with an overhand grip, his torso upright and tense, gaze forward! He now lifts the weight with almost straight arms over his head and lowers it slowly and controlled as far as possible toward the back of his head, with his upper arms next to his ears. The elbows point forward, and it’s crucial to focus on breathing!
After a very brief pause, just before the bar touches the neck, he explosively extends upward again and starts over.
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Upright Row (4 sets of 12 to 20 reps)
Alan Ritchson’s superset ends with the upright row, which further trains his neck and shoulder muscles. He stands upright, tensing his legs and slightly bending his knees. His back is slightly arched, and he holds the EZ bar with an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width. He now pulls the bar up to chin height while inhaling. Then, the actor exhales and moves the weight back to the starting position. Again, it’s important to ensure the arms are never fully extended.